Tag Archives: brand

This weeks’ blog is shorter than usual but aims to discuss why it’s important to keep a brand coherent across social platforms and how to do it. The most popular networks allow people and brands to communicate in different ways, but how do they stay true to their voice?

1. Consistent look

This is supposed to be the easiest one to execute because it is literally and only about design! LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter allow a profile picture as well as a cover photo. The key is to keep them all the same across all three. As for Instagram, the profile picture should be the same. You easily want to be recognized wherever users try to find you.

2. Authenticity

With so many trends on social emerging nowadays, it’s easy for brands to drift off from who they are and the type of messages they communicate. It can completely backfire if they go off course so it’s best to have a certain style for all means of communication. You don’t need to comment on all trends and attempt humour/sarcasm especially when it could go very wrong.

3. Who’s your audience?

You should know who you are communicating to, and how (and how often) these people respond to your posts on social.

4. Use a dashboard

Like we mentioned in the e-commerce article, monitoring all accounts through a third-party website can be very helpful in coordinating everything. It can save alot of time and potential gaffes. Hootsuite is one of the most popular ones around, but there are alternatives you can use.

In previous blogs, we have discussed the importance of different forms of content as well as social feeds to use for your business. This week will particularly be focused on Twitter as we look at how businesses should engage their brand with the public, on a platform where you can only write a limited amount of content, but can always share photos, videos and links.

If done right, it is easy to get popular on Twitter because the best tweets always get many likes and well as retweets. If you are a brand, you need to tread carefully if you want to engage and increase your follower base by the day.

So, what are some of the things you should do?

Profile Optimization

Fill up the bio as completely and accurately as possible; this is where people get to know who you are and what you do, so describe in the best possible way and put the best pictures you have of your brand. There is also a link section for your website!

Consistent Posting

Get active and stay active. If you want people to remember you on their timeline, you need to post content several times a week (if not a day), to increase your chances of getting replies, likes and retweets. Don’t be afraid to retweet content that other accounts are posting, because it shows you are happy to share interesting things and other brands will notice you, including the one you retweeted. There is also the option of polls if you want a different means to get audience interaction.

Planning

Make sure you stay in control of the content you are posting as well as the schedule. Anything that is overdone can be detrimental and annoying to the timeline.

Lead cards and Twitter ads

Just like Facebook, Twitter has advertising capabilities. You can choose a specific target and market to them using a specific hashtag. Lead cards allow you to give consumers access to a download or subscribe to your list on a button’s click.

Engagement

In addition to the mentioned above, you can also engage by joining Twitter chats, look up and follow event hashtags, or hashtag trending topics by commenting on them as well. Always remember to interact with others as it helps you as well.

Visuals

Not only do you need to post very good written content, but visuals are just as important, if not more. Your photos and videos need to be unique and especially self made. It helps give your brand and twitter account an identity.

Hashtags

Twitter is famous because of its hashtag use, because that’s where they were invented! Hashtags give you a chance to be found in searches about specific topics and usually two are enough per post.

Pinned posts

Those help get more traffic to your content when people visit your profile. It can be anything from a link to a new blog, a website, or even to a suggested download. They are usually located at the very top of your tweets.

Metrics

Keep track of all that is happening on your account, behind the scenes. Metrics give you a chance to see where and whether things are working which give you a chance to improve on certain aspects. It will never be perfect, but depending on your goals, you can adjust your strategy.

Now that we have covered the things you are strongly encouraged to do on Twitter, what are the few things you should not do?

Self-centered tweeting

Don’t let it be about you, you, you all the time. Of course, you could tweet about news on your business or services every so often, but it’s much better to be talking positively about someone else. It will be respected and generate traffic and interest.

Auto-comments

NO. Every tweet should be manual and personalized if possible. Auto-comments will give the impression that this account isn’t of much importance to the business and push people away.

Careful tweeting

When an issue is sensitive, do your research on the topic before risking offending anyone or looking entirely stupid. It’s important to get involved in serious discussions, but more important to say the right thing.

Thanks for your time and see you soon again! Hope you’ve enjoyed this read and that your Twitter life will only get better from now on.

New Year, new you! Shouldn’t the same be for your business? Surely you have a few New Year resolutions for yourself for this year; however, have you considered any for your business? Small or big, your business deserves to be the best! If you are starting a business or if you have already established one, a mobile app is an absolute must! Look around, how many hands do you see void of a smart phone? None! Owning a smart phone is a trend going viral beyond our imagination! Now, in such circumstances, would you not want your customers to be able to access your company with ease, and have it at their fingertips? Here are 5 reasons why creating a mobile app for your business is a great way to progress.

Integration

Creating a mobile app enables you to integrate all of your online platforms. It is a centralized place for all of your social media. A mobile app will allow you to maintain the most essential aspect of your website, and allows a potential customer to get a quick overview of your business with ease. The customer will have access to your business at any time of the day and at any place through via an app on their smart phone.

Up-to-date

Staying relevant is another way of understanding this. Publishing a mobile app helps you keep the relevant information needed and keeps you relevant to the audience using it. The latest studies show that people will spend as much time, if not more on mobile apps compared to online tools. Up-to-date analytics say that 80% of all IOS and Android users spend time on the web via mobile apps rather than the traditional web browser.

Customization for ease of access

The main purpose of the mobile app is to engage audience faster and attract them towards your business. Your mobile app should not be a replica of your website. It should be a brief and pared down version of your website. It should include relevant information and avoid the inclusion of extreme details. This will ensure a visually clean and an easy to use app. In the case of more information, referral should be made to your website.

Increased Engagement

Evidently, there is increased engagement through the use of a mobile app. The days of shouting from the top of your lungs in public place to get attention have long disappeared. Customers want to be heard, and their opinion is valued by a company they work with.

Special Benefits

Another benefit of a mobile app is to offer special benefits to the users. Many of the mobile app platforms let you to offer prizes or special offers. App users can get the offers through text messages or as an alert when they open the app. If you give exclusive offers through your app, customers will be more likely to use it and also to recommend others. Mobile devices are quickly becoming the way that customers find services they need, and access information they want online. Rather than be left in the dust, creating a mobile app for your company can keep you relevant and help your company to grow.

If you’ve built your business’ social media presence, at some point you’ll have to deal with negative feedback. Social Media is a unique public environment that has its own type of culture and expectations. Traditional customer service and public relations may not always be enough. How you, as the business owner, handle negative comments will go a long way toward creating a new customer or driving a potential sale away. Read on for tips on how to handle complaints or negative feedback online.

The following tips can help you handle a negative comment appropriately, keeping your customers happy and coming back.

Address the comment efficiently: usually negative feedback falls into one of the following categories: a business error, a misunderstanding, a complaint or spam. Identify the category and come up with a positive solution that addresses the issue.

Don’t delay: word travels fast on social media platforms, so respond quickly, particularly during a bigger issue. You should respond in hours or less, not days later. A slow response can damage your company’s reputation and credibility.

Respond to each complaint in public: the culture of social media demands that you are addressing the issue so the public can see your reliability. You do not need to discuss every detail in the public space. Try posting, tweeting, or commenting back in response with something like “please email me more information” or “looking forward to helping you. Can you message me more?” Also when it is all resolved, communicate that back as well on the platform. Say something like “Thanks so much for letting us know. I hope the issue has been resolved for you.” Follow up is very crucial. Make sure you comment on the original stream where the complaint was written.

Usually the customer is not seeking to rat you out on social media. They just want to vent to other users or try to force you to address the issue. You can turn the complaint into a golden opportunity by jumping at the chance to publicly show that you are there to provide a service and to help them. You are approachable and available to resolve problems. You are demonstrating that you follow through and get back to your customer quickly.

Don’t be defensive: When you get a negative comment, don’t take it as a reflection on you or on your business. Handle the comment but do not react defensively because you do not want to escalate the issue. Be accommodating, polite and listen to what the complainant has to say.

Recognize your mistake: If your business made an error, don’t hide it. Don’t delete the comment or ignore it. It will only aggravate the commenter, or move the conversation elsewhere. Deleting things on the internet will bring into question your integrity to the complainant and all your followers. You do not want to challenge the person negatively. Remember, this is in public, and you are being judged by all your followers. You can block users who abuse the site, and remove inappropriate comments (ex: racist, derogatory, etc.). Mistakes happen, and you just need to deal with them. Recognize the complaint, apologize publicly and then take the conversation off the social media platform to resolve the problem.

Offer an incentive: When it comes to handling complaints, sometimes you have to go the extra mile to keep the customer happy and get a positive out of the situation. If the person isn’t satisfied after your explanation, you can offer a business service or a discount to convert the complainant to a satisfied customer.

Ask for an explanation: If someone posts a negative comment you still need to address the comment. Ask, “What do you feel I did wrong?” and go from there. Ask them what a good resolution would be. It’s basic customer service. If they are not satisfied, apologize and compensate them.

Set the tone: the general nature and tone of your posts will set the rules of engagement on your site or page. A pleasant and positive tone creates an atmosphere where aggressive negativity or attacks will seem out of place. If your comment stream is nice and open, it is likely that your followers would come to your defence. On the other hand, avoid sounding like an authority and never try to outsmart anyone since the internet is always smarter.

If you are trying to create a web presence for your business you should know that social media can be an extremely useful and advantageous marketing tool for growing your community and getting your product or service exposed in the online world.With some time and effort put into a few social media pages, you can bring in new clients.

Marketers are well aware that there may be an occasional slip up and all their efforts backfire when it comes to Facebook promotion (or any other social media marketing for that matter). Maybe you are not getting many followers or you are attracting the wrong kind of followers. What can you do to fix this? Here is a collection of some common and quite basic social media mistakes that are made by new business owners who move online along with the solution to resolve them. It is simplythe best idea to avoid making these Facebook don’ts in the first place because damage control may end up taking forever. If you are one of these unfortunate souls that make a common mistake, don’t fret. Take it as an opportunity to show your audience how committed you can be and show them your best effort to come back gracefully from the fall.

5 Common Mistakes:

#1 Not using or misusing your account

When followers see that there is hardly any activity on your profile or business page, they automatically assume that you do not put the effort in. The easy fix is to make sure you update at least twice per week with posts that are relevant to your businessbrand image. Remember that posts don’t need to be long, just so long that they are there. This gives an impression that you care and are actively there for your audience.

Other times, users end up treating their professional accounts as personal pages. Do not make the mistake of posting controversial views. Instead, stick to neutral opinion while still giving your online presence some personality. Try to keep your personal and business accounts separate. The business account should still maintain an aspect of professionalism.Don’t lose your credibility my making spelling mistakes either. Reread before posting! You may choose to link the two so that your followers can discover the person behind the brand if they so desire.

#2 Not customizing your profile

When you set up your social media account, you are in charge of customizing it according to your businessbrand and the image you are trying to evoke. If you leave your page blank, how would you expect to bring in fans? You have to appear trustworthy and be a little imaginative. A quick fix is to give a basic outline of information to establish an identity…this can include your brand name, logo or photo and a brief description of who you are and what you do as a business.

#3 Posting at the wrong time and frequency

Avoid posting when your fans are all asleep. Save your update for the daytime when your followers are logged on and active. Try weekends, mornings or after work. In addition, when you post too often it could end up annoying fans instead of helping you. If you post too little you will not be noticed. Find an in-between. A simple fix is to look at responses you get on your posts and note the time so you can posts according to when your fans are active.

#4 Not linking back to your page

Why post anything about your most recent blog without linking back? Give links even if you mention the title of a blog or reference with a hashtag. Audiences won’t bother searching for your much if you don’t link.

#5 Lack of engagement

It takes a lot of effort to gain followers and sometimes you may attract ones who may not necessarily have interests in line with your brand. Try to follow people who you think would be a good addition to your network. Follow influences in your business community.

Once you have followers, you need to maintain their presence by interacting back. The point is to collect a community of people, not just empty accounts! Your followers are your potential clients and they should be valued. Acknowledge them and thank them for any contributions related to your business page. Start a conversation and invite them to visit your blog or give feedback.

Social media platforms such as Facebook are a beneficial tool and powerful way of reaching out to your audienceand future clients. If you use your accounts with these guidelines in mind, you will increase your chances of getting great customer engagement and support!

Harness the power of Google+ and see what it has to offer for your business. Read along to see how to gain more influence and exposure for your brand and your business. The first step is to create a profile and to link it directly with your website. The Google+ badge allows you to do this. When you have the badge on your website, you will increase your chances of getting more audience from your website and search results to your Google+ page. There are many features that Google+ offers, so take advantage! Once you establish a connection between your website and your Google+ page, your followers will get the sense of your business as having quality and authoritative content. Keep your posts up to date so that first time visitors get a good impression.

Start using hashtags. They are a great tactic for getting your brand out there beyond your followers. Google plus recognizes hashtags and gets you more exposure so use them in all your status updates. The platform may even suggest some hashtags for your topic.

Google+ cover images are now bigger. Take advantage of this fact and go visual! Upload an impressive design with your brand logo. Showcase a new product, express your brand image, advertise an even tor share contact details. With great graphics, your opportunities are endless.

You can also host Google+ hangouts. This is a great free alternative to online meeting software. You can have 10 participants in an active video, however, you can stream it unlimitedly to viewers on YouTube. Use Google+ hangouts for interviews, discussions, screen-sharing webinars or meetings. Get to know your audience better by joining open invite hangouts.

Why your business needs Pinterest

With marketing leaning more and more towards the visual, you need to include Pinterest in your strategy. Your brand has a story to tell and visual content is the way to go. Start showing the online world your brand image through compelling graphics. Visual marketing is a huge trend and Pinterest has great potential. Photo sharing is second nature on this platform. The audience is engaged and active so it is easy to get your business noticed and passed around.

Pinterest is like visual storytelling. Share the feel of your company or your lifestyle as opposed to your product. The most popular pins are fashion, food and home decorating. Tailor your activity to your audience. You want to showcase lifestyle ideas to allow your audience to imaging themselves using your product or service.

You can share a thank you pin to show appreciation for your fans. It’s a simple gesture yet says a lot and can gain you new followers. Pinterest also allows you to get closer to your fans because you can humanize the brand. No need for slick marketing tactics. Some rough-around the edges, homemade photography is all you need to capture some interest. Ultimately, visual storytelling is the most popular way to reach your fans right now, and Pinterest is the perfect place to start. You aregiving your audience a 360-degree view of your brand, products and service. If you aren’t comfortable with providing the glamorous pictures Pinterest craves, you can feel free to share other people’s images and re-pin. It is a positive image sharing site.

Why your business needs Twitter

Twitter has a whole bunch of new stuff to offer for your business marketing strategy. Start seeing results! Twitter is unique because it is seen as a microblogging tool for sending short, disconnected messages or tweets of 140 characters long to your followers. You can include links to other web content, images or videos. Adding a visual greatly expands your message beyond the 140 character limit. You can follow others, even those you don’t know personally, and anyone can follow you so it is easy to retweet and share, expanding your potential client base.

Choose an account name that is consistent with your brand image. Start following others on Twitter. You are essentially subscribing to read what they share so be selective. Next it is your turn to start talking. Here it is different from other social media sites. It is much more fast-paced and it’s a stream of ideas and sentence fragments. It can be hectic but fun! You can send a tweet, @reply in response to someone, mention another username, direct message a follower, or retweet something you like. For your business, you need to find the ideal spot between what your audience wants to hear and things that promote your business. Focus on the benefits you can offer. Give useful information and you will be considered a valuable member of the community. The quality of what you share will help grow your following.